Author Question: Explain the Malthusian Theory; what did Thomas Malthus expect to happen, and why? What cultural or ... (Read 155 times)

captainjonesify · **on:** Jul 2, 2018

Explain the Malthusian Theory; what did Thomas Malthus expect to happen, and why? What cultural or human changes did Malthus fail to see? How does Malthusian theory fit rich countries? Poor countries?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

________ was proposed by Herbert Spencer and is used to argue that poverty is nature's way of excreting the unfit members of society to make room for the fit.

a. Differential association
b. Cultural deprivation
c. Biological determinism
d. Social Darwinism

tanna.moeller · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 2, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Thomas Malthus suggested that population growth might spin out of control and lead to disaster. Malthusian theory held that world population would increase by geometric progression, doubling in each generation a man and woman would have four children, those four would become eight, those eight sixteen, etc. However food production can only increase arithmetically 20 tons becomes 40, then 60, then 80, etc. Eventually there would be more people than food, leading to starvation on a global level. Malthus did not predict that the birth rate in England dropped as children were increasingly seen as an economic liability, and he underestimated human ingenuity that led to greatly increased farm production. In rich countries population is not increasing rapidly, and we consume far more than we need to survive. However poor countries do have rapidly increasing population and are the least able to provide for them.

Answer to Question 2

d